Fkank bella toere



. (No Model.)

- FRANK DELLA TORRE.

METHOD OF DISGLOSING OBSTACLES T0 NAVIGATION.

No. 350,817. Patented Oct. 12, 1886.

In ugh/5r WWSS of the same.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK DELLA TORRE, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

METHOD OE DI-SCLOSING OBSTACLES TO NAVIGATION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 350,817; dated October 12, 1886.

Application filed November 16, 1885. Serial No. 183,055.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK DELLA TORRE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Disclosing Obstacles to Navigation, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to a method of ascertaining the presence of obstructions to navigation, their direction and location, by reflect ing sounds, and hearing said sounds from various locations upon steamships or other vessels using my invention. This method involves the use of sound, either direct from its original point or from an object returningit as an echo. It also requires that the sound be reflected be fore it is heard, and that the reflection should be made from a known angle or angles. It involves some of the principles presented in my Patent of June 10, 1884, No. 299,968; but the present method is more reliable and sensitive, as a parabolic sound-receiver will catch sound although its axis may be at an angle of ten to thirty degrees with the direction of the sound produced. The use of this method is applicable for ships in foggy weather or at night when it is most needed to detect the presence of icebergs, other vessels, the near proximity of land, or other obstacles to safe navigation.

The principal devices employed in the practice of my method are asound-reflector and a sound-receiver arranged together at known angles, these devices being preferably mounted upon a pivot, whereby any sound can be received upon the reflector at an angle of forty five degrees and directed into the sound-receiver.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents in perspective an apparatus illustrating the application of my method Fig. 2 is a top view of substantially the same device. Fig. 3 represents a top view of a modification Fig. 4 represents in plan the deck of a vessel and roof of its deck-house, illustrating the application of my invention. Fig. 5 is a top view of the device shown in Fig. 2, inclosed in a hood or sound-absorber.

A represents a sound-reflector, preferably made of a fiat surface. It is mounted vertically (No model.)

opposite end of the 'rod' B carries a series of short tubes, b, preferably with flaring or trumpet-shaped mouth pointing toward the focus or center of the sound-reflector A. The receiving-tubes may have their rear end straight, as shown at Z), or curved, as shown at 12 and the latter provided with flexible tubes b carrying the sounds received therein to a distance either horizontally or to any location under the deck. The shaft (Loarries horizontally near its upper end a pointer, a, traveling upon a platform, D divided into degrees. This shaft may extend under deck to the top of a table or platform similarly divided, and provided with a similar pointer to rotate on said lower platform. The horizontal rod B may carry only one receiving-tube b, as shown in Fig. 3, in which case one end of the rod B is provided with a segmental bar, 13', upon which said tube 12 may be moved horizontally to change the angle made by its axis relatively to the surface of the sound-reflector A. The bar 13 is either slotted to guide the collar Z) upon the receivingtube, or the lower end of said collar may be made to straddle and slide upon the bar 13*. The forward part of the deckhouse E maybe made V-shaped or prismatic, with the point forward and its face 6 used to reflect sounds into the flaring mouth of the tubes 22, and be directed through tubes to any location where an officer may be stationed. The sounds may come direct 'from some object or vessel, or be an echo or sound reflected by said object from a whistle, a gun, or a bell, F, under control of a person on board of the vessel carrying my apparatus. Said apparatus may be provided with a second reflector, as shown dotted at A in Fig. 2, and the reflected sound carried again forward in the direction from which it came and be received in tubes located under a hood, G, acting as a sound-absorber, under which the officer on watch takes his position, and is thus in the acoustic shadow of sounds striking the reflector A. The refiector may be inclined forward to direct the sounds under the hood of a companion-wayin the deck to an oflicer stationed under the deck. By this method and means a person stationed adjacentto the rear end of the tubes 1) can ascertain the precise direction from which sounds reach his vessel, and if he uses the echo of a sound produced upon board of his vessel and reflected by an unknown object he can also ascertain the distance of said object. If he uses an apparatus similar to that shown in Figs. 2 and 5, having the pointer set parallel 7 to the axis of his vessel, and applying his ear successively to each one of the tubes b, he receives a larger amount of sound from the central tube than from the others, it will indicate that there is an obstruction dead ahead. If he receives a large amount of sound from the tube on the left side, it will indicate an obstruction on the starboard side, &c.; and if the arm B has graduation-marks, theexact location of the obstruction can be located and the danger of collisions with unseen objects is obviated.

Having now fully described my invention, I

claim- 1. The method herein set forth of detecting the direction of invisible obstacles to navigation, which consists in producing a sound at the observers station, the echo of which from any obstacle is caught and reflected at a known angle to the ear of the observer.

2. The method herein set forth of detecting ing it and ascertaining the direction of a body which returns said produced sound tothe vessel. substantially as described.

3. The method of ascertaining the direction of an object dangerous to the navigation of vessels, which consists in receiving a sound upon said vessel and deflecting it according to well known angles into receivers, substantially as described.

4. The method of detecting distant and invisible objects dangerous to the navigation of a vessel, which consists in receiving a sound upon said vessel, deflecting it according to well-known angles within a sound-protected location,and thereby ascertainingthe direction of the obstruction, substantially as described.

5. The method herein set forth of disclosing obstacles to navigation, which consists in reflecting at a known angle or angles before be ing heard sounds received on board of a vessel, and thereby ascertaining the direction of said obstacle.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK DELLA' TORRE.

WVitnesscs:

E. E. MAssoN, E. (J. WURDEMAN. 

